San Francisco Epic Adventure
by Nicollet1
Summary: Saturday's San Francisco trip, or as I like to call it The-Day-Lizzie-Started-To-Fall-In-Love-With-Darcy, from Gigi's POV. EDIT: I kind of freaked out yesterday, considering this is my first fanfic and I got shoved right between the two perfect SF ones. So it's back again. Hope you'll like it.


"_Sorry, Fitz. I'd call you sooner but my brother is staring at a wall, smiling like there's no tomorrow so I was enjoying the moment, waiting for him to snap out of it. No suck luck, so… Yeah, he's alive, his right eye keeps twitching."_

…

„_Okay, okay. I'm overdramatizing a little bit. He's walking and talking and perfectly fine. More than fine, actually."_

…

„_You bet. I would say it was the San Francisco air and the fact that I finally kicked him out of his office but we both know that's not the case."_

…

„_Absolutely. You should see his face right now. I missed it. I haven't seen it for way too long."_

…

Gigi glanced at William, little smile playing on her lips._ „No, more like hope."_

* * *

—

„And you are sure she's coming? Did she told you that?"

Gigi rolled her eyes and chuckled. She stopped counting how many times her brother glanced at his watch, drumming his fingers restlessly, the only sign of his nervousness. Well, that, and the rigid composure… and an occasional impatient sigh.

„Of course. She called me yesterday, told me the trip sounded great and we settled on time and a place to meet up."

Darcy siblings were sitting on the outside patio of one of the restaurants by the Marina, where they also parked their car. Lizzie refused to be picked up, stating that they're going in an opposite direction anyway, thus inadvertedly exposing Williamto the torture of waiting and wondering, as he always does when it comes to Lizzie Bennet.

The second she made an apperance, William visibly relaxed. He stood up immediately, and pulled out a chair for approaching Lizzie, who met Gigi's excited bouncing with a broad grin of her own.

„Thank… you," said Lizzie, bewildered, as she sat down.

„My pleasure," said William and sat next to her.

„So, what's the plan?" asked Lizzie and looked expectantly at both of them.

„Well, first we're gonna take you to Fisherman's Wharf, which you absolutely have to see, because it has some amazing seafood restaurants and street performers and it's kind of a requirement for tourists to visit-„

„Also for its famous museums," added William.

„Yes, that too," Gigi waved William aside. „And since we're gonna be there, we might as well show you Alcatraz… or, at least what you can see from the shore, then there's Fort Mason and some amazing piers and well, the rest we'll make up as we go."

„The weather is in our favor today as well," said William and rested his eyes on Lizzie. Light breeze was picking at her hair, morning sun transforming it into a halo of burning red. William seemed to be transfixed by the sight.

„No fog, thank god." Gigi's relief was evident on her face. „By the end of the day, you'll be in love with this city as much as we are."

„From what I've already seen, it's really beautiful. I'm looking forward to it," said Lizzie and gave Gigi her biggest smile.

„It is astonishing," William agreed with his eyes firmly on Lizzie and then looked around before letting his mind wander.

Lizzie looked up at William's face with evident curiosity. Gigi understood her. From what she heard of her brother's stay in Netherfield, he was a completely different person there. What it's like for her to see William, now, with his family, outside the social obligations and offices and button-ups.

That girl really was an open book. And maybe, just maybe, when the day is over, Lizzie Bennet's opinion of William, this William, caring and considerate, with his strange, dry sense of humor, will change.

In that moment, Gigi took her phone out. _Snap._

„_**Starting the day w/ wmdarcy and TheLizzieBennet"**_

* * *

At Fisherman's Wharf, Gigi led the way, shoving Lizzie from one restaurant to another, pausing to watch jugglers and magicians, listen to street musicians, Lizzie taking note of how William's index finger tended to tap unconsciously against his leg. Darcys told Lizzie all about how their parents used to take them here every Sunday when they were little, their family escape from modern buildings and high-end living, Gigi usually being the one that almost fell through the railing into the water from running around so much.

Showing her their favourite place with allegedly the 'best food ever', Gigi, at the sight of lobsters neatly piled on the nearby counter, bursted out laughing. „We gotta take a photo here," she said, shoulders still slightly shaking as she tried to, unsuccessfully, repress the giggles. Lizzie looked kind of confused at first until she remembered and blushed, matching the lobsters.

„Gigi, are you aware that I understand that reference perfectly?" asked Darcy, lurking behind his sister.

„In my defense, that was NOT my idea," Lizzie protested, uncomfortable.

„Fitz's use of words was rather unfortunate, yet fairly amusing," interfered William, corners of his mouth slightly rising. „He is right, I must admit. I do not feel comfortable conversating with people outside my social circle."

Gigi nodded, laughing. „You should work on that." From the corner of her eye she saw Lizzie fidgeting and mentally cursed herself for making the situation awkward for her. She knew, after all, how guilty Lizzie felt insulting her brother in front of thousands of people, repeatedly. The smile withered and conversation died. Thankfully, Lizzie cut through Gigi's guilt-trip.

„Hey guys, how about we just snap a picture and get something to go, or leave, or sit down, because we're looking kind of weird, you know… Just standing there. Talking about lobster social skills. And all." Lizzie positioned herself next to the counter.

„Yes. Photos. On it!"_ Snap._

„_**At Fisherman's Wharf. thelizziebennet makes some new friends."**_

* * *

William's absolute distaste to be in the picture, as he usually does unless Gigi forces him, made Lizzie's viewers tear their hair out. Gigi casually checked Twitter, receiving desperate pleas and crying gif animations. It was fun for a while, updating statuses about unforgiving hills, which later became an inside joke between Darcy siblings and Lizzie, or renowned shipping, what was actually William's line but made Gigi laugh so hard while snapping a picture of Lizzie she had to calm down and try again. William was just watching her with narrowed eyes, not really understanding what is so funny about National Landmark vessels.

But after the stop next to Fort Mason, Gigi became just as impatient. She took a photo of excited Lizzie standing on a beach and pointing on Golden Gate in the background.

„_**Golden Gate" **_Sent. In that moment, Lizzie's phone went off and she excused herself.

„Mom. I'll be right back." Gigi used this moment to talk some sense into her brother, who was pretending not to stare at Lizzie the entire time.

„William, she doesn't bite," whispered Gigi, holding him firmly by the hand and trying to drag his stubborn body down the beach and closer to her and Lizzie.

William presented Gigi with pursed lips. „Gigi, what do you have planned now?" he asked in the same low tone, glancing at Lizzie standing nearby and talking on her phone.

„I just, uh… What is she going to think when you hide behind my back like she has a plague every time I take out my phone?" answered Gigi and failed at yet another attempt to move her brother at least an inch.

The silence, William's stone face and raised eyebrow that ensued Gigi recognized as the 'stop bullshitting me' look he has reserved only for her.

„I'm doing this for your own good. Do you want to have something on your bedside table so you can fall asleep looking at her beautiful Bennet face?"

William's horrified expression was priceless. „This is absolutely not what we are here for. We are showing Lizzie the city, Gigi. And we are by no means having a discussion about bedside table pictures."

Lizzie turned with a phone to her ear to witness their staring contest. Gigi recovered quickly and grinned. „Tell Mrs. Bennet we say hello!" she shouted and turned back to William. „Ugh, fine. But I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

William sighed. "Gigi."

"I said fine."

„Hey, you two, everything okay?" asked Lizzie, putting back phone to her pocket.

„Yes, William is just being himself." Gigi waved at Lizzie's confused look. „It's nothing."

„So, what's next? Are we going back to the Marina?"

Gigi had an idea. „Yes, but I have to… make some updates! On Twitter. Yes. I can't walk and write, so you know what? You two go first, I'll catch up with you in a second, okay?" At least this time it wasn't an actual lie, Gigi thought, when her phone beeped, signaling Twitter notification. She ignored the warning glare from William as they returned to the promenade.

_** FitzOnTheFitz ggdarcy Why is your brother avoiding the camera?**_

Why? God knows why. Gigi stood there for a minute, alternating between watching Lizzie and William pushed to walk together and make a conversation and her own uncertain thumbs, hovering over the keyboard.

_** ggdarcy FitzOnTheFitz Um cause he's my brother!**_

Gigi decided enough is enough. It's gonna takea whileto catch up with them anyway. She's definitely taking her time.

_** FitzOnTheFitz ggdarcy Then work some magic!**_

She smirked_._

* * *

_Snap._

„What are you doing?" asked William, when the sound of the camera shutter interrupted his speech about the Palace of Fine Arts and its historical background. He was giving her the we've-talked-about-this look.

„What?" responded Gigi innocently, throwing a quick glance at her brother and then back at her phone, smirking and typing furiously. „Lizzie's viewers are actually arguing whether you're even here or not."

„But they already know I am here. That is what you took the very first photo for, if I remember correctly. Moreover, I am sure Lizzie doesn't want her photos ambushed by-"

„No, it's okay," Lizzie interrupted Williamand gave him a hesitant smile. Gigi looked up from her phone just in time to see his half-quizzical, half-astonished, half-trying-to-keep-it-cool look before it buried itself under the clearing of his throat and sudden interest in his shoes. „My viewers are really… interested in you, so we could throw them a bone from time to time," Lizzie continued lightly and smiled at Gigi. „And to be honest, it's a little late for objecting, she's gonna upload it anyway."

„You know me well, Lizzie Bennet." Gigi grinned.

„_**Being candid."**_

* * *

Gigi could almost hear the collective sigh of disappointment coming from all over the internet when Lizzie updated her Twitter status about being already at home. And then Lizzie tweeted something else. Gigi was not really surprised it was directed at William since they got along pretty well today. From that Golden Gate incident, which Gigi proudly initiated, everything went smoothly. She was more like a chaperone from then on, internally squealing and contributing to their conversation every now and then. And that was only when she understood what were they even talking about.

They took her home, without Lizzie protesting this time. Walking shoes or not, they did spent the entire morning running around the city. Her temporary home is not that far away, but William insisted. Of course he did. And she was genuinely happy.

And Gigi, Gigi had an idea.

The next day in the afternoon, William got unexpectedly called off to attend a meeting. That's when Gigi sneaked into his office and left the unsigned envelope on her brother's desk. The envelope he would later discover, confused by its weight, turn it in his fingers, peek in hesitantly and then let the content elegantly slide out. Gigi knew her brother well. She knows that smile the moment his eyes will rest on the photo-paper printed and enframed picture of him, half-smiling into the camera with the 'we will talk about this later but I'm enjoying it for now' look and Lizzie, close by his side, closer than she's ever been, in both literal and metaphorical sense, glowing and waving and for a moment he can pretend it's all just for him.

She knows that expression, the softening of his eyes when he scans the scrap of paper tucked behind the frame, his sister's elegant handwriting. He laughs out loud. Shakes his head.

„_**You can thank me later."**_


End file.
